{"id":7528,"date":"2013-03-18T18:00:55","date_gmt":"2013-03-18T22:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/inbox\/?p=7528"},"modified":"2013-03-18T14:59:36","modified_gmt":"2013-03-18T18:59:36","slug":"death-star-destruction-terrorism-or-government-incompetence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/inbox\/2013\/03\/18\/death-star-destruction-terrorism-or-government-incompetence\/","title":{"rendered":"Death Star destruction: terrorism or government incompetence?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Hunt for Luke Skywalker? Was he a freedom fighter or a terrorist? Photo: Wikipedia<\/p><\/div>\n

In the 1970s, when Star Wars first exploded on American movie screens, the narrative fit neatly into our national consciousness.<\/p>\n

Plucky rebels overcome nasty Imperial overlords, blowing up the horrific “death star” and restore freedom to the galaxy.<\/p>\n

A generation later, it’s not so simple.<\/p>\n

These days, our imaginations are shaped as much by fears of terrorism, concerns about our own “predator” drone program, and worries about government overreach and incompetence.<\/p>\n

So a couple of videos floating around on-line ask the troubling question:<\/p>\n

Was the Skywalker family’s deadly attack on a government-owned military vessel the act of jihad-style “Jedi” terrorists?<\/p>\n

Or did it reflect a government bureaucracy blinded by red tape.<\/p>\n

We begin with Family Guy’s take on the matter, which can be summed up in the phrase, “Better get an estimate.”<\/p>\n